The bread is alleged to have gotten its name when an irate husband cursed his wife, "Anna -- damn her!" Here, obviously, was a man with a problem, and with a Sunday dinner. This recipes yields two endearingly old-fashioned loaves of hearty, grainy bread that is delicious warm from the oven, slathered with sweet butter.

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal

2 1/2 cups water, divided

1 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup molasses

1 package dry yeast

1 teaspoon sugar

5 cups all-purpose flour

Mix cornmeal into 1 cup water. Bring a second cup water to a rolling boil. Pour cornmeal mixture into boiling water; return to boil. Reduce heat, and continue cooking and stirring until mixture is very thick -- 5 to 8 minutes. Add salt, butter and molasses. Remove from heat. Cool to tepid.